Page, AZ
Monday was our first full day in the Lake Powell area. With temperatures in the low 90s we took it easy and just did a couple of short hikes nearby. The first is called the Hanging Garden Hike, a one mile round trip hike to view an unusual spot of vegetation in the middle of the desert.
Slickrock on the Hanging Garden Trail
Along the trail one of us became very excited when he/she (guess which one) spotted some flowers on a nearby Prickly Pear Cactus.
Other desert plants also had some flowers in bloom.
Tucked under the shoulder of a ridgeline is the Hanging Garden, a green oasis with ferns growing from the undersurface of the ledge.
If you look closely you can see some small Orchids growing among the ferns.
On the way back to the trailhead we crossed paths with this small group of hikers.
After visiting the Hanging Garden, we drove about five miles south to check out Horseshoe Bend. There is a hike of about three quarters of a mile one way over loose sand (over a hill) to reach the bend, but it is well-worth the hike. The view of the Colorado River below is spectacular.
In the evening we took a walk down by the lake to watch a beautiful sunset light up the sky
The end of a beautiful day!
Oh, the Places They Go! 
Looks like Dead Horse Point! Love seeing the blooms. Don’t let John stop you from taking a picture of every flower you see.
It did look a lot like Dead Horse but actually a little nicer because you we were closer. I was shocked that John included three flowers in the blog…my lucky day. I couldn’t believe how many flowering Prickly Pears there were. Something I have been waiting for.
A nice hike for a hot day! Love the Prickly Pear photos. Thanks John.
I was thrilled to see that John included so many flowers in the blog…my lucky day!!
I love the desert this time of year. I love all the blooms on anything and everything.
What a totally different hike than the ones in Utah. Each one has a different type of beauty.
We can say that we have never crossed paths with that group of hikers. I can’t believe they don’t kill over from the 90 degree weather and all those clothes.
Horseshoe Bend IS gorgeous. Your photo is so neat! Making more and more wonderful memories.
We were quite shocked as we rounded the corner to see these unusual hikers. I could resist taking pictures.
I’ve been waiting and waiting to see desert flowers. Finally!!
Ohhhh how pretty! I love the oasis under the ridge and oh how I miss the prickly pear! Horseshoe Bend is awesome! Stay cool!
Yes, it was a great flower day for me!!
I love the picture of the other hikers…
We felt like we were on the Morman trail west!!!
I love that you saw lots of prickly pear and orchids! So cool! There are virtually no flowers in Northern NM right now.
We had that same hiking day when we were there, the gardens and horseshoe. I hope it cools off a bit for you guys.
You know how much I’ve been waiting to see cactus in bloom. They probably love this heat!!
Don’t know how long you plan to stay, but would recommend trying for a hike at the Wave.
http://littleadventures-jg.blogspot.com/search?q=the+wave%2Fcoyote+buttes
Another nice hike, if you don’t want to pay the fee for Antelope Canyon is Water Holes Canyon.
http://littleadventures-jg.blogspot.com/search?q=water+holes
That is one of our favorite areas, but we’ve not been there when it was quite that warm!
Thanks so much for the suggestions! We had thought about the trying for the Wave but decided to try next time around. I’ll check out Water Hole Canyon. We stopped at the Carl Heyden Visitors’ Center the day we arrive and talked with a great ranger. She had some wonderful hiking idea. We hope to hit Buckskin Gulch which is the longest slot canyon in the world. Of course, we will only see a day’s worth. Tomorrow we are doing the boat tour to Rainbow Bridge since it is so warm. Should be nice to be on the water.
Beautiful flower photos. The hanging gardens are really cool. Are you renting a boat tomorrow? We did that a few years ago, it was fun.
No, Allison, we aren’t renting a boat. We are taking the tour boat to Rainbow Bridge. Let someone else do the work!!
Wow, you got really close to the edge at Horseshoe Bend! It was so windy the day we were there I felt like we’d be blown over the cliff! On the way back to the jeep we received a “sand exfoliation”!
Great pictures, nice to see those flowers. The yellow ones last quite awhile when picked and brought inside…..Sue
This post made me homesick for AZ…beautiful! 🙂
I never tire of seeing photos of Horseshoe Bend … someday I am going to see it in person. Early morning hiking is in order in those temps.